“Beowulf” is an example of a piece of literature of long-lasting value that can be supported by the fact that this poem aims to reflect on the central cultural and moral values that were especially important for European people in the medieval period. It represents the difference between Christian and pagan views, it shows what is the real meaning behind wealth, and shows the vision of the world spread during the period of heroes and knights. A similar statement can be made regarding Milton’s “Paradise Lost” and Spencer’s “Faerie Queene” because these works are dedicated to important matters that have a special significance for the generations to follow. In Milton’s “Paradise Lost”, the audience may find a strong argument dedicated to establishing a contrast between virtue and evil (Smith par. 5). In Spencer’s “Faerie Queene”, the concept of Christian behavior and virtue is shown as a matter of eternal significance (Gordon and Spenser par. 6). Thus, it becomes evident that for all their differences, all of these three works are permeated with a spirit of long-lasting purport. In contrast to these books, Pope’s “Rape of the Lock” is a representation of a book as an economic commodity because it only presents considerable interest for contemporary readers. This is explained by the fact that it is a story of a transient nature as the basic element of its plot is an experience from the author’s life that does not present any aesthetic or exhortative importance. Overall, the evaluation of the four pieces of literature under consideration suggests a conclusion that while some books may present great moral and aesthetic value for numerous generations, the other ones may be of temporary significance and are going to be forgotten in a few decades.
References
Gordon, Todd, and Edmund Spenser. GradeSaver LLC. Nov. 2010. Web.
Smith, Nicole. Article Myriad. 2011. Web.